Chelsea are reportedly set to make a move for 21-year-old Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana as they accept defeat in the race to sign Jules Kounde.
According to Simon Phillips, Chelsea have turned their attention towards Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana after repeatedly suffering setbacks in their pursuit of Jules Kounde. Multiple reports have claimed that the Blues are keen on signing two more central defenders this summer after getting Kalidou Koulibaly on board from Napoli.
The west Londoners have been linked with the likes of Manchester City’s Nathan Ake, Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe. But Chelsea are yet to complete a deal for any of their central defensive targets.
The Blues have had a long-standing interest in Kounde, but Sevilla have been tough to negotiate with, whereas Barcelona’s solid interest has not helped either. The Blaugrana are now said to be the favourites to land the 23-year-old defender this summer, leaving Chelsea to look for other options after ending their interest in the Frenchman.
Chelsea have now turned their attention towards Fofana, who recently signed a contract extension with Leicester City, keeping him at the Premier League club until at least 2027. The west London outfit are expected to make an official approach in the coming days as they try to find a solution to their centre-back conundrum.
The Foxes reportedly need to sell players this summer, but taking Fofana off them could be a tricky task for Chelsea. The 21-year-old is considered a crucial component of his squad by Brendan Rodgers, and Leicester City were quick to tie him down to a longer contract earlier this year.
Fofana was restricted to just 12 appearances in the recently-concluded season as a fractured fibula kept him out of action for the majority of the 2021/22 season. His first season with the Foxes (2020/21), however, was a fruitful one as he made 42 appearances across competitions, including 27 Premier League starts.
Leicester will want to start with the France under-21 international at the heart of their defence next season, whereas Chelsea will hope to convince their fellow Premier Leageu club into selling the 21-year-old defender.
With five years left on the defender’s contract, the Blues will need to make a significant offer to stand a chance, with some reports quoting an €80 million fee. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea succeed in prising the 21-year-old away from the King Power Stadium this summer.
